Is the garden overflowing with arugula? Cook it

A shopper picks out organic arugula at the stand of D&J Organic Farm, located in Yaphank, N.Y. (RICHARD DREW)

Among our guest chatters recently was Jason Wilson, who has just stepped down from writing The Post's Spirits column. Here are edited excerpts from a recent online chat:

Q. Our garden is overflowing with arugula. Any suggestions for what to do with it besides make salads? Maybe pastas or pizzas?

A. I love putting fresh arugula on pizza right after it comes out of the oven. That crisp bite offsets the cheesy richness of the pizza nicely, I think. But the best way to handle a whole lot of tender greens like arugula is to cook it, because the volume reduces so significantly. I like arugula in pesto instead of basil. You could also blanch it, squeeze it dry, and freeze it in plastic freezer bags to use later.

— Joe Yonan

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Q. Two friends are getting married this summer and asked me to develop a cocktail for the wedding: something easy that could be pre-mixed and dispensed to about 100 people. I'm thinking some kind of punch, possibly old-school, that wouldn't involve a lot of prep. Any suggestions?

A. For an old-timey summer wedding punch, I love Gin Punch, which is very simple, though it's for people who normally are cocktail people. Even more old-timey is Light Guard Punch, with sherry, cognac, Sauternes and pineapple: light and nice in hot weather. Find both at washingtonpost.com/recipes.

— Jason Wilson

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Q. What's the difference between salsa and picante sauce? I have a recipe that calls for the latter, but I have the former and was hoping I could substitute it.

A. Basically, a blender. Salsa is textured/chopped, picante is pureed.

— Bonnie S. Benwick

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Q. I love sidecars! But when I order one, I never know what I'm going to get. When asked, what should I say I really want in it, other than fresh lemon juice? (And if they can't do that, I get a glass of wine instead!)

A. Sidecars are a tricky business. I wrote a blog post a few years back about different sidecar variations, just to show how many directions you could go in. As for the classic sidecar, I always recommend a ratio of two parts cognac to one part each of lemon juice and Cointreau. But the cognac has to be a good one — VSOP or better — or the result can be disappointing.

— J.W.

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Q. Can you recommend a cookbook for a college student who will be moving off-campus and cooking for himself for the first time? He's going to want recipes that are easy, quick and cheap. He does have some basic cooking skills and will be cooking for himself and roommates.

A. I guess it depends on the student's level of engagement with food. If it's modest, I'd suggest Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything." If he is curious about techniques and cooking equipment, I'd suggest "The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook."

— Tim Carman

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Q. In general, do you think it's better to bake a cake the day you're going to eat it or the day before?

A. I think it depends on the cake. If it's unfrosted, or maybe just glazed, and could be eaten warm, bake it the day you're going to eat it, and try to serve it warm. You know, like a pound cake or even a quick sweet bread, like banana bread. But if it's a layered and frosted cake, I like making and frosting it the day before, because the cake soaks up some of the moisture and flavor from the frosting.

— J.Y.

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Q. I got a jar of caviar as a gift over the holidays and stuck it in the freezer. How long does an unopened jar last?

A. It's not a good idea to freeze caviar. Ruins the texture. Yours may already be compromised.